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U.S. Department of Defense Agency Takes Stand Against Medal of Honor Game

Army and Air Force Exchange Service refusing to sell game at its military base stores.

It was one thing for Fox News and Britain's Defense Secretary to condemn Electronic Arts for making the Taliban a playable faction in its upcoming Medal of Honor reboot, it's another thing entirely for the U.S. Military to take a stance against the game. And according to one report, that's exactly what happened today.

Citing unnamed sources, Kotaku reports that the Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES), the Department of Defense agency that runs department stores, or exchanges, on all military bases, has decided it will not sell Medal of Honor at any of its locations, and has already pulled all advertising associated with the game.

The AAFES has an agreement with retailer GameStop for store-within-a-store videogame shops at a number of exchanges, and GameStop sources confirmed to Kotaku the military agency requested it cut all ties to the game this afternoon.

"GameStop has agreed out of respect for our past and present men and women in uniform we will not carry Medal of Honor in any of our AAFES based stores...," GameStop told Kotaku. "As such, GameStop agreed to have all marketing material pulled by noon today and to stop taking reservations. Customers who enter our AAFES stores and wish to reserve Medal of Honor can and should be directed to the nearest GameStop location off base."

"GameStop fully supports AAFES in this endeavor and is sensitive to the fact that in multiplayer mode one side will assume the role of Taliban fighter."

Electronic Arts has thus far declined to comment on the AAFES decision.

Sharkey says: For those not in the know, exchanges are huge on military bases. This is like a major retailer banning the game, only that retailer is the U.S. military. After working closely with Afghanistan vets on the game, this one has got to sting EA a bit. I'm curious if an official announcement from the military is on the way and if EA is considering renaming the bad guys its own version of OpFor.